New Qosmio X505s

Well I would agree with you but 17.3 inches is not that much smaller than 18.4. I am with you, though, as I definitely would love to own an 18.4 inch lappy, but I have had my 17.0 inch XPS Gen 2, not even a 17.3 incher, and it NEVER seemed too small to me. Honestly, if the higher end Qosmio's had better 1080p screens, I would totally agree with you, but from everything I am reading, the extra 1.4 inches on the screen can hardly make up for the vibrant Asus screen.

 

You can buy a Q893 and get the Asus 23" screen + 3D Vision kit for ~$150 less than the price of a G73JH or JW.

Amazon.com: ASUS VG236H 23-Inch 120 Hz 3D Ready Panel Monitor with nVidia 3D Vision Kit - Black: Computer & Accessories

Just saying.

EDIT: ChiroVette, one thing you have to keep in mind is the screen ratio. My 15" screen is 4:3, so it's 9 inches tall. The Qosmio may be 18.4", but it's 16:9, which means it's also...9 inches tall. Your XPS has a 16:10 screen, so you'd actually lose a bit of vertical space transitioning to a 17.3" 16:9 screen.

 

Ah so what you're saying is that, in essence, my 17 inch screen is actually an inch vertically larger than even a 17.4 inch screen? Or am I missing something? I thought that 16X9 is a ratio, not 16 inches by 9 inches.

Oh and keep in mind that if I were looking to buy that Asus 3D monitor, it would not be for a laptop. The way I see a laptop is, even one this large, is for its portability. I am not a "desktop replacement" kind of guy. If I am going to use an external monitor at home, it will be for a monster desktop, not a lappy.

 

From these two which one would you choose if both were the same price:

(Keeping in mind both have the same processor and graphics card)

TOSHIBA Qosmio X505-Q898:

- 64 gig ssd drive
- 18.4 large screen
- screen not high quality

Asus G73JW:

- great screen / vibrant colors
- no ssd
- 17 inch display

 

I would have to choose the Asus in that scenario. But that's just me. The real deal killer for me is the Toshiba 1080p screen issues. Seriously, why have a high end gaming lappy with a hot GPU, sweet CPU, gorgeous architecture, and a crummy dark screen?

 

*sigh* I did the math...

XPS 17" 16:10: Width 14.42" Height 9.01"

G73 17.3" 16:9: Width 15.08" Height 8.47"

X505 18.4" 16:9: Width 16.04" Height 9.01"

So, you lose about a half an inch with 17.3". Big difference? You decide.

BTW, you may not be one of those "desktop replacement" people, but for the rest of us, that's still an option. Don't kid yourself, at 10+ pounds, the Qosmio is not your regular pick-up-and-go laptop. The G73 in this respect is alittle better, but its lower battery life probably negates that.

 

For my uses, I just don't see the need for replacing a desktop with a laptop. I have plenty of space under my desk for a big tower. I have a nice pull out drawer for a full sized keyboard and mouse, and plenty of area on top of the desk for a nice monitor. Add to that the fact that you can build a substantially more powerful desktop for a helluva lot cheaper than a less powerful laptop, and I see no reason for a desktop replacement, again, I am talking about for my needs, not yours or anyone else's. I want a gaming laptop for one thing and one thing only: To use while on the go. I travel to a ton of different offices while I work and I have a helluva lot of down time which I use to write, surf the web, and game.

And no, losing a half inch vertically is not a big deal, because you gain about the same horizontally with the 17.3 inch screen. Also, from my perspective, going from the XPS to the Qosmio, I would stay the same vertically and gain about and inch and a half horizontally. Thanks for the measurements.

 

Chiro, maybe you've already stated what you are looking for. For me, could you state the hierarchy of features you want on your laptop?

 

I haven't broken it down into a hierarchy, Richard. But I suppose that the most important things are that I will be using my new gaming laptop for both GAMING and for writing in equal measure. So when I am not gaming and working on a novel or short story, for instance, I want to see a clear, white page with ultra clear, sharp black text. So the laptop needs to be able to play all the latest games, obviously, which all of the midrange competitors (Asus, Toshiba, MSI, etc.) can do, so no problem there. I would REALLY like it if my new laptop has built in sound that is as good as my old lappy. I want a beautiful, clear screen, and obviously I need to be able to type with ease.

 

I guess it boils down to either sound or display. Which one of the two is more valuable?

 

Both to be honest, but if you put a gun to my head, I would have to choose display. Why? Well, because I can always buy a pair of portable laptop speakers to cart around with my already unwieldy lappy! lol

 

The difference between the G73 screen and the 1680x945 Qosmio screen is not that big IMO. Yes, the G73 screen is better, but nowhere near $500-$600 better.

That's one of the reasons I looked up that Asus 23" kit above. If you are a desktop replacement person, you can get a way better screen with 3D to boot for less than a G73. Or you can get an IPS screen for only about $100 more.

 

Chiro, after all this research your next book should be about the Qosmios.

Just out of curiosity, what do you write?

 

This is the panel that is used in Qosmio FHD models:
NEW Toshiba Qosmio X500 X300 18.4" HD LCD LTN184HT01 - eBay, Laptop Screens LCD Panels, Computer Components, Computers Networking. (Eindtijd 28-aug-10 00:03:53 CEST)



mistype as sumsung here but more spec data:
SUMSUNG LTN184HT01 FULL HD+2CCFL LAPTOP LCD SCREEN Panel products, buy SUMSUNG LTN184HT01 FULL HD+2CCFL LAPTOP LCD SCREEN Panel products from alibaba.com


You can find asus screen details in notebookreview.com.

Qosmio screen has better contrast and response time values comparing to Asus screen while Asus screen has better brightness.

BTW, I'm using %45 brightness in my qosmio to relax my eyes. Full brightness is too much for me. So IMHO there is no reason for more brightness.

 

If you sitting in dark room, then yes, no reason.
Otherwise reflections take foothold and white becomes yellowish gray.

 

Yes I'm using this 18.4'' for indoor only and bought it as a desktop replacement.

 

My book is about some guy trolling the computer forums trying to decide which laptop he wants to buy. He meets a classicaly trained violinist who he develops an adversarial relationship with. One thing leads to another and things escalate to a violent level in real life and the two people end up hunting one another down through the streets of New York City in a Post Apocalyptic nightmare that ensues because their voracious argument actually shuts down the entire Internet, and in a confluence of cascading events, begins a global thermonuclear war.

lol Nah, I am a fiction novelist and hope to be published someday and so successful at it that "Saving money" on a laptop will be the least of my concerns.

That's a great point, but let me just give a rebuttal for anyone looking to spend more money on a better machine and thinks the extra $500.00 may be worth it: You aren't paying $500.00 JUST for a better screen in the G73JW. You are paying for a better CPU, more RAM, Blu-ray, 1080p, better rated architecture and a two year warranty instead of one. I am now seriously leaning toward the Q893, but that is because of the price. The truth is that, as I said in another thread, if I decide I want a higher end medium-range laptop, however, I will go for the G73JW. Right now, though, that Q893 is a freaking steal!

To be fair, you are 100% right, but as I said earlier, this obviously doesn't apply to me since I will still be building a high end desktop and only using the laptop outside my home.

 

Ahh, and here I thought we were getting along quite well. If I couldn't justify my own laptop pick, then I'd be lying by promoting it to others.

You're correct, and if those things are a requirement, I'd wholeheartedly recommend the G73JW. Personally, I don't require more RAM or 1080p, and I'm pretty sure I can get a Blu-ray drive from an old Qosmio. Besides, I can always add more RAM.

A big consideration of mine is the lifetime of the Qosmio. Because the Q893 and G73JW share the same GPU, by the time the Q893 can't keep up with graphics, the G73JW won't be able to either. So, in spite of everything you listed, neither laptop will actually outlive the other. And because of the price difference, I can spend that money on higher quality components.

It couldn't be more simple. <$1500=Qosmio >$1500=G73JW.

 

Yeah your sum up was exactly the same as mine, only I would lower the low end. Because I think that by the time you get up to the 1.5K level, you might as well still get the Asus, particularly since the sound problems in the other thread seem to be inextricably tied to the i7 processor, which, to be quite honest, is the main draw for the models above the $999.99 (Q885) and $1,150.00 (Q893). Not to put too fine a point on it, but to be honest, based on the sound thread and the 1080p Qosmio screen issues, I would now say that the only Qosmios worth considering are the Q885 and the Q893. Oh and lol obviously I was only kidding about my little snippet of fiction. I actually enjoy your posts.

 

I'd agree with that, the low end of the Qosmio is definitely where the value lies. The $1500 was only meant to signify the budget amount.

 

Yeah I hear you. So do you think the price will go down even more? Also, do you know any good sites to order it from and save the sales tax in NY?

 

I don't think the price will go down too much more on the Q893, no. Maybe $50 more? Anymore, and I think they'd lose money. You have to remember the 460M itself is around $400. They only lowered the price because everyone was buying the Q885 and Q887 instead. Unless J&R chooses to get into a price war with them, I think this is the lowest we'll see for at least a few weeks or couple months. Don't quote me on that though, I didn't think we'd see this price until Nov.

Unfortunately, only Amazon, Buy.com, and J&R have the Q893 in stock. If you can get it shipped to NJ or some other adjacent state, you'll avoid the sales tax. Amazon only charges tax in KS, KY, ND, NY and WA.

Or find an interim buyer in another state who'll ship it to you. I'd help, but I'm sure you'll find someone ALOT closer to you.

 

NewEgg has the Q892 for $1180 + $19 shipping. I believe the only thing you're losing, versus the Q893, is the backlit keyboard. They only charge tax in CA, NJ and TN.

Newegg.com - TOSHIBA Qosmio X505-Q892 NoteBook Intel Core i5 460M(2.53GHz) 18.4" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M

 

Thanks for finding that. The only thing I don't like about it is that it costs $30.00 more plus about another $20.00 in shipping, and if you add in the $30.00 extra for the backlit keyboard, I am really only saving like $20.00 over the sales tax I pay from Amazon. However, I do like the $69.00 one year extended warranty.

 

I wouldn't recommend that deal at all, not without the backlit keyboard. The warranty isn't that hot either, you can get a SquareTrade 3-year warranty for $160 on Amazon.

 

I agree about the backlit keyboard. Also, I was thinking of something else. All of the X500 model Qosmio's, even used are commanding a good price on ebay. I could, theoretically, buy the Q893 now and sell it just before my warranty is up and get a good chunk of change back toward a nicer replacement in 2011.

 

That's true, the Qosmio's do keep their value quite well.

Anyway, I happened to stop by my local Fry's tonight, and lucky me, they had just put the new Q898 on display! I literally put the first fingerprints on it. I didn't play with it for long, I needed to get going, and I think the salesman's getting pissed cause he's seen me 3-4 times and he wants to close the deal. Sorry dude!

The 1080p screen actually looked quite abit brighter, to my great surprise. It's still nothing to write home about, but at least it didn't look dim. I don't know what's going on, maybe the old model had a bad bulb, or maybe I'm going nuts, that's also a possibility. All the other problems remain though, the strange color hue and graininess.

The keyboard on the other hand has definitely changed. Like I posted awhile ago, the keys are now matte, not glossy, and I found this helps immensely while typing. Whereas the glossy keys had an unpleasant stickiness where it felt like the keys were griping your fingertips, the matte keys are easy to slide across. In short, it finally feels like a regular keyboard, and this update certainly gets a thumbs-up from me.

I demoed the speakers again, and played audio at full volume for 5 mins straight. I didn't get any volume fluctuation. So, I'm not sure what's going on, but at least we've already established that the newest Conexant driver fixes that. Bass seemed fine to me. Volume was good and loud. I didn't test the audio jack; I didn't have any earbuds.

 

Volume fluctuation was definitely issue with original driver, Toshiba supposed to fix that.

 

So, Im new here and trying to decide between a X505-Q893 and the G73JW-A1.

Im a little worried about the build quality of the Toshiba and the screen quality.

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the 1680 x 945 screen on the Tosh?

And what about the overall build quality? Any heat issues?

 

I think that the build quality of the Asus is better, more solid, and if money in that price range is not a huge option to you, I would say that the G73JW is overall the better lappy. I just ordered a Qosmio Q893, so it's not as if I am some trolling Asus fanboy lol.

Seriously? If you want the most bang for the buck then the Q893 is literally the deal of the century as far as gaming laptop's go! It has the same GPU as almost all the best units out there and if you are willing to sacrifice "features" you can can save $500.00 to $600.00 and even end up with a larger screen AND a better internal sound system (speakers at least) in the process.

No, the Qosmio screen is not as good as the Asus, BUT the 1680 X 945 screen is better than Toshiba's 1080p screen. So for the Q893, the screen on the Asus will be a little better, but probably not Earth shaking.

No worries about heat issues as the 460m is a much cooler card than the 5870. Again, if you want to save a bundle, then buy the Q893. If you want Blu-ray, 1080p, a slightly better keyboard, an i7 processor, a free napsack/gaming mouse, a better warranty (two years instead of one), and better inherent architecture, and you aren't concerned about the extra 5 or 6 hundred dollars, definitely get the G73.

 

Thanks for that response. Its making my decision easier.

One other question for anyone who may know ... Does the X505-Q893 have a 2nd hard drive bay?

 

I am pretty sure that all the Qosmio's have three HD bays, but I know they have at least two. The reason I say three is that al the Qosmios are the same chasis, and I believe that you can get a 1TB Qosmio that also has an SSD.

Edit: No, check that, I think it's only 2. Because the 1TB Qosmio does NOT have the SSD, and it has two 500GB standard HD's. So that means there is probably only two bays.

 

Its only two bays. Some models have no connector in the second bay, so technically only one usable bay.

 

Wow I didn't know there was no connector in some bays. Is it difficult to add a connector to make a formerly inert bay usable? And wha models (or where can I find out) have no usable second bay?

 

They use that extra space for RAM slots, right?

 

Most of the models with one HDD has only one bay with connector.
Connector is soldered to the motherboard, so I don't think it's possible for any average user to add.

They don't use extra space for anything. The bay is still here, with lid and all, but it has no connector and caddy in it.
Toshiba did this for ages, I had this on my previous X200 and on X505 too. It always puzzled me, why they did it, how much they save on connector, 3$?

 

I think it's a realy cheap thing to do, to be honest, and it is disappointing when you really think about it. What's the point of doing something so stupid as making your laptops so completely upgrade-proof as to not be able to add a second hard drive? It boggles the imagination.

 

Ingvarr, your model was too old. From the Q880 onwards, the 2nd HDD connectors have been installed. I've already confirmed the Q885 has it, I doubt they'd take it away again in the Q893.

There's no caddy (no one includes one) but you can use paper or cardboard to hold the HDD in place.

 

Or just buy a caddy aftermarket. The truth is that while I know you can fudge it with paper or cardboard, I have a few concerns. The first is obviously having paper in the drive bay on a gaming laptop that may sometimes get very hot could be a fire hazzard, not to mention ruin your laptop in this instance. While that is honestly a VERY remote possibility and likely will not be a real issue, the second problem with it has to do with balance. One of the great things about laptops is that they are shock proof and "move proof." With regular PC hard drives, you are technically NOT supposed to move your PC when it is on because if the PC happens to be reading from the HD at the time, you could crash your drive.

Now one of the things that lends inherent stability to a laptop's HD is the caddy it sits in. I honestly believe it is very prudent to buy a caddy, even if it is an aftermarket or a used one from an otherwise parted out machine off eBay. I just think that you will get at least a little more "stability" from a caddy than you will from a wedged-in piece of paper.

On a more positive note, thanks for the information a4500435. I really hope you are right about the drive bay being usable in the Q893.

 

Given my experience with Toshibas, I at least would expect a possibility that second HDD bay is unusable if it has no HDD listed in official specs for given model.
So make sure you 100% confirm it has the connector to avoid disappointment. Don't jump to conclusions, especially when it's unknown why they are not putting it sometimes in the first place.

 

I've already found 3 instances of people plugging in SSDs into their Q885s and Q887s without problem. I think Richard was one of them.

EDIT: Nope, it was Rankinging

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...lp-identifying-hdd-connector.html#post6623216
http://forum.notebookreview.com/toshiba/513180-qosmio-x505-reduce-ssd-speed.html#post6640133

Pay no attention to the SSD issue, that's an Intel problem almost all laptops share.

 

Cool, maybe Toshiba finally stopped their cheapskating (took only 3 generations )
I guess we now only have to wait for Chirovette to confirm

 

Yeah, after this discussion, one of the first things I am going to do when I get my laptop is open the drive bay and see if there is a connector there.

 

Hey guys,

Ive been lurking around here for awhile as I've been looking for a laptop. These forums have been a huge help, so thanks to all of you for that! I was considering an MSI GX640, Asus N61Jq, and the Qosmio. I don't travel much, so portability Isn't necessary. Seemed like a no-brainer to go for the big boy:

I pulled the trigger and ordered the X505-Q893 from Amazon. Should arrive on the 15th; just in time for the weekend!

 

Ha! Same here, splosczynski. Mine was shipped early today so I will get it either tomorrow or friday. Congrats!

 

Thanks! Congrats to you as well!!

Cant wait to get my hands on this thing!

 

Forgot to ask. Did it show up today?? Mine's still scheduled to arrive tomorrow. UPS arrives at my work around 10:30am...it's gonna be a rough friday afternoon at work ha!!

I've already started searching for a backpack for this thing....not finding a whole lot yet...

 

That what I use
Port Designs Aspen 18.4 Inch Laptop Backpack

Fits X505 perfectly and very good backpack overall.

 

Thanks! Yep, mine showed up yesterday. I haven't gotten a chance to really play with it yet as I spent all my time installing games, MSOffice, No-Cd patches, and other stuff.

 

Just a price alert: J&R has also dropped their price of the Q893 to $1,149.88, a whopping $0.11 less than Amazon.

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q893 18.4" Notebook PC - Omega Black in PC Notebook Computers at JR.com

J&R also lowered the rest of the new Qosmio line to around $20 under Amazon's prices. Maybe this will trigger another price drop on Amazon's part? We can only hope!